KING
The next day, Sanderson and Mahoney – the two detectives who’d hassled us earlier – were waiting for me at the clubhouse when I got there. I got off my bike, took off my helmet, and tried to keep the irritated expression off my face.
“Mornin’, officers,” I said, walking toward them. “Can I help you with something?”
Neither one looked too pleased to see me, but then again, when did cops ever look happy to see men like myself. Rarely did we bring good news. The same could be said about cops, too, though. I was just trying to be pleasant and as cooperative as possible, hoping they wouldn't hook me up and cart me away today. The last thing I needed was a couple of cops taking me in again. That would only serve to give the Incas even more reason to be suspicious of us. And all I wanted to do was finish our deal, collect my money, and then ride off into the sunset.
“Yeah, there is something you can help us with,” Mahoney said. “There's been a threat called into us. Thought you might know something about it?”
“A threat?” I leaned against the building and slipped my hands into my pockets, trying to appear relaxed. Both of them looked tense, ready to blow and I knew something wasn't right. “What kind of threat are you talking about?”
The two officers looked at one another before turning their eyes back to me. It was Mahoney who did the speaking for the dynamic duo.
“Most of what we know is confidential, but we did get word that there's some trouble brewing between your guys and the Incas. Any truth to that?”
I shrugged. “Not if I have my way, there isn't. But I don't know about anything the Incas are up to. Nor can I do anything to control what they do. Anything I should know or be concerned about?”
“Our source said there is some serious shit going down,” Mahoney said. “So, cut the shit. What's going on, King?”
I looked from Mahoney to Sanderson and then back again. “I'm giving it to you straight, guys,” I said. “I don't know anything about any trouble. We're not planning anything and, as far as I know, neither are they. We've never had a beef, so there's no reason for a fight between our clubs.”
“Just be on the lookout for trouble, and let us know right away if there's a war coming,” Sanderson said. “Because trust us, you can't handle this alone.”
Even if there is a war coming and I know about it, the last thing I am going to do is enlist the help of the cops, I thought to myself. But I couldn't say that out loud. Getting them involved would only serve to cause more problems, put us in more danger. No, I had to handle this. And soon. Before something happened and whatever this trouble was, came bubbling to the surface. I had to protect my guys. I would protect my guys.
“Will do, officers,” I said casually. I could tell neither one of them believed me. Smart men.
“You know where to find us,” Mahoney said.
I nodded as the two men walked back toward their police car.
The Incas were no joke, but there was nothing the cops could do to help us. They'd been trying to fight the Incas and shut them down for years now and had absolutely no luck with it. Me helping them wouldn't change a damn thing. And it would only bring a ton of steaming hot shit down on this club. There was no way in hell I was going to start snitching and put the life of my men in even more danger just to help them shut the Incas down.
Then again, it sounded like we could already be in trouble, whether I liked it or not. I should have listened to my gut and turned down the initial deal they'd offered. But it was far too late for buyer's remorse now. Now, I just needed to figure out how to get out of this mess without anyone I cared about getting hurt.
I watched the cops drive off and then turned and walked toward the clubhouse when I heard a car pull into the parking lot behind me. Assuming it was the cops coming back again to try and pry a little more information out of me – or maybe just to pick me up and haul me in – I turned to tell them off, but my words stuck in my suddenly very dry throat.
It wasn't a police car. It was Abbie's car. She shut off the engine, got out, smiled at me, and gave me a shy little wave. “Hi, King,” she said quietly as she walked over to me.
“Is it that jackass? Is he bothering you again?” I asked.
I felt my blood boil at the mere mention of the idea – as well as a primitive, savage excitement at the prospect of getting to beat him to a pulp – but she stopped me, shaking her head.
“Oh no, nothing like that,” she said. “I just never got a chance to thank you.”
I was caught off guard, but felt my heart skip a beat as I looked into her eyes. “You don't have to thank me, Abbie.”
“I know,” she said with a sweet smile.
Her hazel eyes reflected the sunlight, turning them a light shade of green with flecks of gold. So beautiful. Almost hypnotic. I had the fleeting notion that I could stare into those eyes all day and be perfectly happy.
“But I wanted to anyway,” she continued. “I asked around and found out where the clubhouse was located. I decided to stop by and say thanks for putting Jack in his place for me. You really saved my butt.”
“Anytime,” I said, choking on my own words as I stared down at her.
Her brown hair fell over her shoulders and around her face in soft, beachy waves. Her skin, her hair, and everything else about her was just so perfect and pretty. She was like a flower – gentle and sweet. I groaned inwardly, wondering when in the hell I became a goddamn poet.
Abbie wasn't the type of girl I usually went for. I liked women who had some substance to them and she almost looked fragile, almost breakable to me. She looked like someone I could hurt without meaning to. Though, as we found out that night in my bar, she could take whatever I gave her – and she liked it.
I felt myself grow hard just remembering that night and breathing in her scent. I recalled the way she'd felt wrapped around my body, the way she'd tasted – everything about her was intoxicating and I felt my cock grow so stiff, it was uncomfortable and bordering on painful. I couldn't recall the last woman who'd had this effect on me, who'd had the power to cloud my mind, my judgment, and fill my head with nothing but thoughts about them. And that lack of focus on my part was dangerous. Especially considering everything going on at the moment. But what I wouldn't give to be inside of her one more time, I silently mused, to feel her warmth wrapped around my cock.
“I was thinking about everything you said earlier today. And maybe I was being a little too hasty about not seeing you ever again, you know?”
She looked up at me with those beautiful, intoxicating eyes, and for a moment, I convinced myself I was dreaming. I had to be. The cops that came here before her, that must have been a dream, too. I was half-convinced that nothing that had happened so far today had actually happened. I was half-convinced that none of this was real.
But as I stared at her beautiful face and inhaled the dizzying scent of her perfume, I realized it was. It was all very, very real. Maybe this day wouldn't turn out to be such a goddamn shit show after all. Things – at least for the moment – seemed to be looking up. Way up.
“Oh yeah?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah,” she said. “I was thinking – if you aren't busy – maybe we could go out again?”
I knew I should turn her down, tell her maybe this isn't a good idea – because with everything going down with the Incas right now, it really wasn't. But how could I say no to that face? To that smile? I felt lighter, happier, with her near me. Just being around her made me feel as if all my worries were washed away. Abbie was a welcome distraction, and there was no way I could reject her. Not after she'd gone to all the trouble of tracking me down and coming out here.
“Sure, Abbie. Just tell me when…”
“How about now?” she said, looking around. “Wanna get out of here for a bit? Go somewhere a little more private?”
My erection was now pressing hard against my jeans. The idea of going somewhere more private with Abbie had me ready for anything and there was no way I could turn that down. There was no way in hell I would turn that down.
“I'm game,” I said. “Let's go.”
I took her hand in mine and led her toward my bike. Somewhere private. Just me and her. My brain went wild thinking of all the sexy possibilities that the day held in store for us. And honestly, I needed her right now. I needed her more than I needed anyone else in my life.
The thing that scared me, though, was that I needed her – but in my thinking, it wasn't only just for the sex. The very idea of needing somebody mentally and emotionally, rather than just physically, scared the ever loving piss out of me.